Key Takeaways
- Ripple’s CEO says improving U.S. regulatory clarity could drive Bitcoin to $180,000 within a year.
- Garlinghouse sees a major shift from traditional finance.
- Despite Bitcoin’s recent pullback, industry leaders say they are unfazed.
Ripple Chief Executive Brad Garlinghouse has claimed Bitcoin could reach $180,000 within the next year, adding that improving regulatory clarity in the U.S. has left him “more optimistic than I’ve been in years.”
Garlinghouse’s forecast comes amid renewed turbulence in digital assets, with Bitcoin sliding nearly 30% from its October record — and critics growing increasingly louder about its overall value.
Garlinghouse’s Bitcoin Prediction
Talking at Binance Blockchain Week on Wednesday, Dec. 3, Garlinghouse said Bitcoin’s path to $180,000 is supported by accelerating institutional engagement.
He argued that improved clarity is now drawing new market entrants at scale.
“As we go into 2026, I don’t remember being this optimistic in the last handful of years,” he said.
The shift, he said, is driven largely by the U.S., which accounts for “22% of global GDP” and had previously been “really openly hostile to crypto for four or five years or maybe longer.”
He added that major financial groups that once avoided digital assets are now reversing their position.
“Just this week, Vanguard has now opened up…[after] historically saying we won’t touch crypto,” he said.
The institutional flows into crypto ETFs also support his bullish view.
While acknowledging short-term volatility, Garlinghouse said that zooming out offers a clearer picture:
“Only 1% or 2% of the total ETF market is crypto… a year from now, that will be more than 1% or 2%.”
Real-World Utility and Market Cycles
Garlinghouse emphasized that what is happening now is part of a familiar cycle.
“Crypto has gone through cycles. When you have risk on, people are excited… now you have kind of a risk-off moment,” he said.
Despite the volatility, he argued that the industry is finally shifting from speculation to practical use cases.
“We are also seeing real-world applications where it’s not just about the speculation… It’s about solving real-world problems.”
The transition, he said, is visible in new and “easier-to-use applications” which are making crypto not “just about the speculation.”
Despite the recent downturn, Garlinghouse dismissed suggestions that institutions had been scared off.
“They’re getting involved, and they’re starting small… they’re going to crawl, then they’re going to walk, then they’re going to run,” he said.
Bitcoin’s Volatility
Bitcoin reclaimed the $90,000 level after whipsawing nearly 8% earlier in the week, though it remains about 30% below its all-time high in October.
Roughly $20 billion in leveraged positions were wiped out during the latest slide, while funding rates in perpetual futures have turned negative.
Still, bullish voices argue that corrections are a normal feature of maturing markets.
Solana Foundation President Lily Liu described the recent pullback as expected after a liquidity-driven rally.
“Irrational up, you’re going to have a correction… that’s exactly what we’ve seen,” she said.
Adding: “I remember when $800 Bitcoin was a bubble, and then there was $150 Bitcoin… so I think we’re doing just fine at $90,000.”
Kurt Robson is a London-based reporter at CCN, specialising in the fast-moving worlds of crypto and emerging technology. He began his career covering local news in Cornwall after graduating from Falmouth University with First Class Honours in Journalism. There, he cut his teeth on everything from council meetings to missing swans.
He quickly rose through the ranks to become a frontline journalist at several of the UK’s leading national newspapers. Over the years, he has interviewed musicians and celebrities, reported from courtrooms and crime scenes, and secured multiple front-page exclusives.
Following the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kurt shifted his focus to technology journalism—just ahead of the AI boom. With a natural curiosity and a trained eye for emerging trends, he has found a new rhythm in reporting on innovation.
At CCN, Kurt's work focuses on the cutting edge of crypto, blockchain, AI, and the evolving digital world. Drawing on his background in people-first reporting and his deep interest in disruptive tech, Kurt delivers stories that are insightful, entertaining, and human-centric.
